Two things I was particularly armed with, which I resolved upon: 1. That the man should have his bills again; for it seemed a horrible thing to me that he should be made to lose his money, which I supposed he must, purely because we would not carry the letter-case home. 2. That whatever happened to me, I was never to tell the name of my comrade Robin, who had been the principal. With these two pieces of honesty, for such they were both in themselves, and with a manly heart, though a boys head, I went up into the long-room in the customhouse the next day.
As soon as I came to the place where the thing was done, I saw the man sit just where he had sat before, and it ran in my head that he had sat there ever since; but I knew no better; so I went up, and stood just at that side of the writing-board that goes upon that side of the room, and which I was but just tall enough to lay my arms upon.
While I stood there one thrust me this way, and another thrust me that way, and the man that sat behind began to look at me. At last he called out to me, «What does that boy do there? Get you gone, sirrah! Are you one of the rogues that stole the gentlemans letter-case a Monday last?» Then he turns his tale to a gentleman that was doing business with him, and goes on thus: «Here was Mr. had a very unlucky chance on Monday last. Did not you hear of it?» «No, not I», says the gentleman. «Why, standing just there, where you do», says he, «making his entries, he pulled out his letter-case, and laid it down, as he says, but just at his hand, while he reached over to the standish there for a penful of ink, and somebody stole away his letter-case».
«His letter-case!» says tother. «What, and was there any bills in it?»
«Ay», says he, «there was Sir Stephen Evanss note in it for £ 300, and another goldsmiths bill for about £ 12; and which is worse still for the gentleman, he had two foreign accepted bills in it for a great sum I know not how much. I think one was a French bill for 1200 crowns».
«And who could it be?» says the gentleman.
«Nobody knows», says he; «but one of our room-keepers says he saw a couple of young rogues like that», pointing at me, «hanging about here, and that on a sudden they were both gone».
«Villains!» says he again. «Why, what can they do with them? They will be of no use to them. I suppose he went immediately and gave notice to prevent the payment».
«Yes», says the clerk, «he did; but the rogues were too nimble for him with the little bill of £ 12 odd money; they went and got the money for that, but all the rest are stopped. However, tis an unspeakable damage to him for want of his money».
«Why, he should publish a reward for the encouragement of those that have them to bring them again; they would be glad to bring them, I warrant you».
«He has posted it up at the door that he will give £ 30 for them».
«Ay; but he should add that he will promise not to stop or give any trouble to the person that brings them».
«He has done that too», says he; «but I fear they wont trust themselves to be honest, for fear he should break his word».
«Why? It is true he may break his word in that case, but no man should do so; for then no rogue will venture to bring home anything that is stolen, and so he would do an injury to others after him».
«I durst pawn my life for him, he would scorn it».
Thus far they discoursed of it, and then went off to something else. I heard it all, but did not know what to do a great while; but at last, watching the gentleman that went away, when he was gone I ran after him to have spoken to him, intending to have broke it to him, but he went hastily into a room or two full of people at the hither end of the long-room; and when I went to follow, the doorkeepers turned me back, and told me I must not go in there; so I went back, and loitered about near the man that sat behind the board, and hung about there till I found the clock struck twelve, and the room began to be thin of people; and at last he sat there writing, but nobody stood at the board before him, as there had all the rest of the morning. Then I came a little nearer, and stood close to the board, as I did before; when, looking up from his paper, and seeing me, says he to me, «You have been up and down here all this morning, sirrah! What do you want? You have some business that is not very good, I doubt».
«No, I hant», said I.
«No? It is well if you hant», says he. «Pray, what business can you have in the long-room, sir? You are no merchant».
«I would speak with you», said I.
«With me!» says he. «What have you to say to me?»
«I have something to say», said I, «if you will do me no harm for it».
«I do thee harm, child! What harm should I do thee?» and spoke very kindly.
«Wont you indeed, sir?» said I.
«No, not I, child; Ill do thee no harm. What is it? Do you know anything of the gentlemans letter-case?»
I answered, but spoke softly that he could not hear me; so he gets over presently into the seat next him, and opens a place that was made to come out, and bade me come in to him; and I did.
Then he asked me again if I knew anything of the letter-case.
I spoke softly again, and said folks would hear him.
Then he whispered softly, and asked me again.
I told him I believed I did, but that, indeed, I had it not, nor had no hand in stealing it, but it was gotten into the hands of a boy that would have burned it, if it had not been for me; and that I heard him say that the gentleman would be glad to have them again, and give a good deal of money for them.
«I did say so, child», said he; «and if you can get them for him, he shall give you a good reward, no less than £ 30, as he has promised».
«But you said too, sir, to the gentleman just now», said I, «that you was sure he would not bring them into any harm that should bring them».
«No, you shall come to no harm. I will pass my word for it».
Boy. Nor shant they make me bring other people into trouble?
Gent. No; you shall not be asked the name of anybody, nor to tell who they are.
Boy. I am but a poor boy, and I would fain have the gentleman have his bills; and indeed I did not take them away, nor I hant got them.
Gent. But can you tell how the gentleman shall have them?
Boy. If I can get them, I will bring them to you to-morrow morning.
Gent. Can you not do it to-night?
Boy. I believe I may if I knew where to come.
Gent. Come to my house, child.
Boy. I dont know where you live.
Gent. Go along with me now, and you shall see.
So he carried me up into Tower Street, and showed me his house, and ordered me to come there at five oclock at night; which accordingly I did, and carried the letter-case with me.
When I came the gentleman asked me if I had brought the book, as he called it.
«It is not a book», said I.
«No, the letter-case; thats all one», says he.
«You promised me», said I, «you would not hurt me», and cried.
«Dont be afraid, child», says he. «I will not hurt thee, poor boy; nobody shall hurt thee».
«Here it is», said I, and pulled it out.
He then brought in another gentleman, who, it seems, owned the letter-case, and asked him if that was it, and he said, «Yes».
Then he asked me if all the bills were in it.
I told him I heard him say there was one gone, but I believed there was all the rest.
«Why do you believe so?» says he.
Then he asked me if all the bills were in it.
I told him I heard him say there was one gone, but I believed there was all the rest.
«Why do you believe so?» says he.
«Because I heard the boy that I believe stole them say they were too big for him to meddle with».
The gentleman then that owned them said, «Where is the boy?»
Then the other gentleman put in, and said, «No, you must not ask him that; I passed my word that you should not, and that he should not be obliged to tell it to anybody».
«Well, child», says he, «you will let us see the letter-case opened, and whether the bills are in it?»
«Yes», says I.
Then the first gentleman said, «How many bills were there in it?»
«Only three», says he. «Besides the bill of £ 12, 10s., there was Sir Stephen Evanss note for £ 300 and two foreign bills».
«Well, then, if they are in the letter-case, the boy shall have £ 30, shall he not?» «Yes», says the gentleman; «he shall have it very freely».
«Come, then, child», says he, «let me open it».
So I gave it him, and he opened it, and there were all three bills, and several other papers, fair and safe, nothing defaced or diminished; and the gentleman said, «All is right».
Then said the first man, «Then I am security to the poor boy for the money». «Well, but», says the gentleman, «the rogues have got the £ 12, 10s.; they ought to reckon that as part of the £ 30». Had he asked me, I should have consented to it at first word; but the first man stood my friend. «Nay», says he, «it was since you knew that the £ 12, 10s. was received that you offered £ 30 for the other bills, and published it by the crier, and posted it up at the custom-house door, and I promised him the £ 30 this morning». They argued long, and I thought would have quarrelled about it.
However, at last they both yielded a little, and the gentleman gave me £ 25 in good guineas. When he gave it me he bade me hold out my hand, and he told the money into my hand; and when he had done he asked me if it was right. I said I did not know, but I believed it was. «Why», says he, «cant you tell it?» I told him no; I never saw so much money in my life, nor I did not know how to tell money. «Why», says he, «dont you know that they are guineas?» No, I told him, I did not know how much a guinea was.
«Why, then», says he, «did you tell me you believed it was right?» I told him, because I believed he would not give it me wrong.
«Poor child», says he, «thou knowest little of the world, indeed. What art thou?»
«I am a poor boy», says I, and cried.
«What is your name?» says he. «But hold, I forgot», said he; «I promised I would not ask your name, so you need not tell me».
«My name is Jacque», said I.
«Why, have you no surname?» said he.
«What is that?» said I.
«You have some other name besides Jacque», says he, «hant you?»
«Yes», says I; «they call me Colonel Jacque».
«But have you no other name?»
«No», said I.
«How came you to be Colonel Jacque, pray?»
«They say», said I, «my fathers name was Colonel».
«Is your father or mother alive?» said he.
«No», said I; «my father is dead».
«Where is your mother, then?» said he.
«I never had eer a mother», said I.
This made him laugh. «What», said he, «had you never a mother? What, then?»
«I had a nurse», said I; «but she was not my mother».
«Well», says he to the gentleman, «I dare say this boy was not the thief that stole your bills».
«Indeed, sir, I did not steal them», said I, and cried again.
«No, no, child», said he, «we dont believe you did. This is a very clever boy», says he to the other gentleman, «and yet very ignorant and honest; tis pity some care should not be taken of him, and something done for him. Let us talk a little more with him». So they sat down and drank wine, and gave me some, and then the first gentleman talked to me again.
«Well», says he, «what wilt thou do with this money now thou hast it?»
«I dont know», said I.
«Where will you put it?» said he.
«In my pocket», said I.
«In your pocket!» said he. «Is your pocket whole? Shant you lose it?»
«Yes», said I, «my pocket is whole».
«And where will you put it when you get home?»
«I have no home», said I, and cried again.
«Poor child!» said he. «Then what dost thou do for thy living?»
«I go of errands», said I, «for the folks in Rosemary Lane».
«And what dost thou do for a lodging at night?»
«I lie at the glass-house», said I, «at night».
«How, lie at the glass-house! Have they any beds there?» says he.
«I never lay in a bed in my life», said I, «as I remember».
«Why», says he, «what do you lie on at the glass-house?»
«The ground», says I; «and sometimes a little straw, or upon the warm ashes».
Here the gentleman that lost the bills said, «This poor child is enough to make a man weep for the miseries of human nature, and be thankful for himself; he puts tears into my eyes». «And into mine too», says the other.
«Well, but hark ye, Jacque», says the first gentleman, «do they give you no money when they send you of errands?»
«They give me victuals», said I, «and thats better».
«But what», says he, «do you do for clothes?»
«They give me sometimes old things», said I, «such as they have to spare».
«Why, you have never a shirt on, I believe», said he, «have you?»
«No; I never had a shirt», said I, «since my nurse died».
«How long ago is that?» said he.
«Six winters, when this is out», said I.
«Why, how old are you?» said he.
«I cant tell», said I.
«Well», says the gentleman, «now you have this money, wont you buy some clothes and a shirt with some of it?»
«Yes», said I, «I would buy some clothes».
«And what will you do with the rest?»
«I cant tell», said I, and cried.
«What dost cry for, Jacque?» said he.
«I am afraid», said I, and cried still.
«What art afraid of?»
«They will know I have money».
«Well, and what then?»
«Then I must sleep no more in the warm glass house, and I shall be starved with cold. They will take away my money».
«But why must you sleep there no more?»
Here the gentlemen observed to one another how naturally anxiety and perplexity attend those that have money. «I warrant you», says the clerk, «when this poor boy had no money he slept all night in the straw, or on the warm ashes in the glass-house, as soundly and as void of care as it would be possible for any creature to do; but now, as soon as he has gotten money, the care of preserving it brings tears into his eyes and fear into his heart».
They asked me a great many questions more, to which I answered in my childish way as well as I could, but so as pleased them well enough. At last I was going away with a heavy pocket, and I assure you not a light heart, for I was so frighted with having so much money that I knew not what in the earth to do with myself. I went away, however, and walked a little way, but I could not tell what to do; so, after rambling two hours or thereabout, I went back again, and sat down at the gentlemans door, and there I cried as long as I had any moisture in my head to make tears of, but never knocked at the door.
I had not sat long, I suppose, but somebody belonging to the family got knowledge of it, and a maid came and talked to me, but I said little to her, only cried still. At length it came to the gentlemans ears. As for the merchant, he was gone. When the gentleman heard of me he called me in, and began to talk with me again, and asked me what I stayed for.